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System and method for automatically generating flow diagramsRelated Patent Categories: Data Processing: Software Development, Installation, And Management, Software Program Development Tool (e.g., Integrated Case Tool Or Stand-alone Development Tool), Testing Or Debugging, Including Analysis Of Program Execution, Using Program Flow GraphSystem and method for automatically generating flow diagrams description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060161901, System and method for automatically generating flow diagrams. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
COPYRIGHT NOTICE [0001] A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] In today's complex software environment, information may be represented in a myriad of different formats, each of which define a particular arrangement of data that can be processed and/or stored by a computer. In some computing environments, it is desirable to represent information in a process or flow. Any particular computing process can be represented in a flow diagram for easier visual comprehension of the flow of the particular process. For example, a login process could be represented in a flow diagram such that the various steps of the process are easy to visualize. [0003] Such processes are often configured within software in a computer in particular types of files. For example, the process may be configured within a series of configuration files. The files may also be configured in other types of files, such as application files, or in a combination of different types of files, such as in a combination of configuration and application files. [0004] These types of files defining the flow of a particular process are often numerous, and can be difficult to work with, particularly for a user who is not an expert with such computer processes. Working with the flow of such a process can be very difficult when all one has to work with is such configuration and application files. Further, modifying such files can also be difficult, particularly for the non-expert user. [0005] Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an improved system and method for taking such process files and automatically displaying such files in a flow diagram format that is easy to visualize and use. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0006] FIG. 1 is a flowchart illustrating a process in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. [0007] FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a process in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. [0008] FIG. 3 is a screenshot of a flow diagram in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. [0009] FIG. 4 is a screenshot of a flow diagram in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. [0010] FIG. 5 is a block diagram that depicts a user computing device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. [0011] FIG. 6 is a block diagram that depicts a network architecture in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION [0012] Embodiments of the present invention implement a method and system that automatically generate a flow diagram displaying a process flow between configuration files and application files in a predefined process. An indication of a location of the configuration files and the application files is received. Flow information is extracted from the configuration files and from the application files. The flow diagram displaying a process flow between the configuration files and the application files is then generated. Details of embodiments of the invention are further discussed below. [0013] FIG. 1 depicts a process in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In step 100, an indication of a location of the configuration files and the application files is received. As further explained below, this indication may be input by a user that wants to automatically generate a flow diagram of the process flow between configuration files and application files for a process that has been predefined. [0014] In step 110, flow information is extracted from the configuration files and from the application files. Details of the extraction of the flow information from the configuration files and application files are further discussed below. The flow information is information contained in the configuration files and in the application files that indicates one or more destination nodes from the configuration or application file and/or a flow label. The flow information may include flow labels and/or flow destinations. [0015] In step 120, the flow diagram displaying a process flow between the configuration files and the application files is then generated from the flow information. The generated flow diagram and the method used to generate it are further explained below in conjunction with FIGS. 2 and 3. [0016] FIG. 2 illustrates a process in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In step 200, a process is identified by receipt of the indication of the location of the file or by other means. Each process my have one or a plurality of configuration or application files associated with it. For each file x, the present invention may process the files to determine flow destinations and/or flow labels. [0017] In step 210, a first file in the process is identified. The flow destination for the file is determined in step 220, and the flow label (if any) is determined in step 230, as further described below. In 240, the flow destination may be used to identify additional files, and steps 220 and 230 of determining the additional flow destinations and/or flow labels will continue until all destinations and labels in the process are determined. [0018] When all of the flow destinations and/or flow labels are determined, the files may be displayed along with the corresponding flow destinations in step 250. In step 260, the connections between the files may be displayed based on the determined flow destinations. In step 270, the connections may be labeled according to the flow labels. These steps are further illustrated below [0019] FIG. 3 illustrates a flow diagram 300 that has been generated in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The flow diagram 300 has been generated in accordance with a predefined login process that includes application files and configuration files. The flow diagram 300 that is illustrated in FIG. 3 is a flow of a login process 310. The flow diagram 300 illustrates configuration files, application files, and the flow of the process between them. In the flow diagram 300, spanner wrench icons are used to represent configuration files and document icons are used to represent application files, although any type of icon may be used. A configuration file is represented in the flow diagram by the spanner wrench 320 labeled "/b2b/preparelogin.do". This icon could correspond to the following configuration entries in config.xml: TABLE-US-00001 <action path="/b2b/preparelogin" type="com.sapmarkets.isa.isacore.action.b2b.PrepareLoginAction"> <forward name="success" path="/b2b/login.do"/> <forward name="umelogin" path="/b2b/login/empty.jsp"/> <forward name="failure" path="/b2b/login/login.jsp"/> </action> [0020] Flow labels and flow destinations are information that may be extracted from the configuration file for use in generating the flow diagram in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. In the particular example shown above, three labels, "success", "failure" and "umelogin" are extracted from the configuration file. Also, three corresponding flow destinations are extracted, namely "/b2b/login.do", "/b2b/login/empty.jsp" and "/b2b/login/login.jsp". The flow label 340 illustrated in FIG. 2 is labeled "failure". The flow destination 330 is labeled "/b2b/login/login.jsp". The flow labels and flow destinations are useful for a user in visualizing the flow of the process. Continue reading about System and method for automatically generating flow diagrams... Full patent description for System and method for automatically generating flow diagrams Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this System and method for automatically generating flow diagrams patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like System and method for automatically generating flow diagrams or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Method and system for project library dependency management Next Patent Application: System and method for modifying files defining a graphically displayed process Industry Class: Data processing: software development, installation, and management ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the System and method for automatically generating flow diagrams patent info. IP-related news and info Results in 0.21303 seconds Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories: Canon USA , Celera Genomics , Cephalon, Inc. , Cingular Wireless , Clorox , Colgate-Palmolive , Corning , Cymer , 174 |
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